BJD stages dharna protesting rail budget

Bhubaneswar: Alleging "injustice" towards Orissa in Rail Budget- 2011-12, the ruling BJD on Monday staged a dharna in front of the railway station here.

"We will intensify stir against the Centre`s anti- Orissa attitude," said Biju Youth Janata Dal president and MLA S Dasburma.

The protesters, including several MLAs and senior party leaders, accused the Centre of showing negligence towards the state, particularly in the railway sector.

"Though the Indian Railways earns revenue worth Rs 7,000 crore per annum from Orissa sector, it spends very little for the development of rail network here," claimed BJD MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra.

While the state government demanded allocation of Rs 2085 crore, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee proposed only Rs 1168 crore in this year`s rail budget, he said adding a total of Rs 6,832.36 crore was required to complete all the ongoing projects in the state.

The state government`s demand for specific rail lines in order to expedite industrialisation process, was also ignored by the ministry, they said.

There was also no indication in this year`s budget on the rail wagon factory proposed to be established in the state, Dasburma pointed out.

"The state had been betrayed by railway ministry," the ruling party MLAs alleged.